Crack in bridge over Patapsco River closes Interstate 70 westbound

The westbound span of I-70 is now open in time for rush hour traffic Monday morning. You can now access I-70 westbound from the Baltimore beltway and other routes. Emergency repairs have been completed and traffic is moving in both directions on I-70.

A painting crew discovered a large crack in a major steel support structure holding the Interstate 70 bridge over the Patapsco River between Baltimore and Howard counties Friday.

The bridge was immediately closed to traffic possibly until Monday morning, which means a weekend of headache for motorists in the area.

This means Interstate 70, a major highway connecting Baltimore with Western Maryland, will be shutdown between Route 29 and I-695 possibly until early Monday morning.

Those wishing to get to Howard county from the Baltimore Beltway will have to use 100 westbound, Route 40, or Liberty Rd.

Engineers adjusted traffic lights along Route 40 and Liberty Rd because of the increased traffic that will travel on those roads due to the bridge closure.

The bridge is one of the oldest in the area and was built to carry traffic across the Patapsco River.

Crews will work on the bridge 24 hours a day over the weekend to get it fixed for Monday morning rush hour traffic.